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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24638668">The Warmth of My Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_13th_battalion/pseuds/the_13th_battalion'>the_13th_battalion</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Zuko Gets Hugs [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Actually Everyone Needs A Hug, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hugs, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, This is almost pure fluff, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, found family is the best, good thing this is a hug fic, hehe, with a nice healthy amount of angst, zuko is a very warm person</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:46:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,619</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24638668</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_13th_battalion/pseuds/the_13th_battalion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Caught in a storm on Ember Island, the Gaang returns to Zuko's old family home, cold and wet. There, they make a welcome discovery about their fire bender companion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), The Gaang &amp; Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Zuko Gets Hugs [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813720</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1385</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Quality Fics, Zuko_angsty_and_cuddly, avatar tingz</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Warmth of My Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hellooooooo!</p><p>This fic is based off a headcanon my friends and I share, which is essentially that fire benders are warm. They're like portable heaters. I was talking about this with said friends and one of them made a spectacular drawing of it! Of course I had to do something also, hence this fic was created XD</p><p>It was supposed to be like half as long but apparently I can't write anything without Angst™ so here we are</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rain hadn’t always been such a soothing sound to Zuko. As a child, he had feared rain, the water like an impending threat of lightning hammering against his window in tune with his racing heart. The dark clouds had loomed much more ominously when they blocked the stars. Whenever lightning crackled outside, he often found refuge in his mother’s arms. She had always sheltered him from the sizzling electricity—the bolts both in the sky and under their roof.</p><p>Now the sight of thick, gray clouds and the soft pitter-patter of raindrops offered him a source of comfort. He let the gentle noise wash over him as he sat cross legged on the floor of his old room on Ember Island. Several candles burned in front of him. A window to his right was slightly ajar. He had opened it before the rain began and hadn’t bothered to close it.</p><p>Zuko enjoyed the rain. It reminded him of his mother. If he let himself slip far enough into meditation, he could practically feel her warm hand on his back, under his knees. He could almost see her bright eyes as she carried him to a window of the palace and told him the storm would not harm him. If he closed his eyes, he could feel her fingers running through his hair, her kiss on his forehead. If he reached out, he could grab hold of her sleeve…</p><p>A rustling of the trees and a soft <em>thump</em> startled him out of meditation. He opened his eyes and frowned. <em>Sounds like Appa. They must be back.</em></p><p>The morning had been warm and cloudless. The rest of the team had gone right to the beach. Despite the imploring, sad puppy eyes Aang had given him, Zuko had chosen to remain behind. He loved his new teammates and he was eternally grateful for their acceptance and support, but he needed a break. He had grown too accustomed to being alone.</p><p>He had been meditating for most of the day. He had no idea when the rain had started. Storms came fast and hard on the island, often with barely a warning. He mused that it must have been rather recent if they were only now returning.</p><p>Zuko stood and went to the window. He held his hand out and caught some raindrops in his palm. They were cold, but they evaporated in his hand, rapidly turning to steam. He couldn’t see the rest of the group. He closed the window and went towards the front of the house.</p><p>He heard them before he saw them.</p><p>“Yeugh, my shoes are soaking wet!”</p><p>“Maybe you should go barefoot like me!”</p><p>“No thanks, my feet like being clean.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“Quit bickering, you two! Sokka, give me your shoes.”</p><p>There was a loud <em>whoosh</em> followed by several shouts of surprise.</p><p>“Watch it, Twinkle Toes!”</p><p>“Sorry! I’m freezing and wet! Just trying to dry off…”</p><p>“Well, try not to knock us all over next time!”</p><p>“Toph, stop antagonizing him. Aang, let me find you a towel or something instead.”</p><p>“Katara, maybe we could start a fire? There’s a nice fireplace there.”</p><p>“Good idea, Suki. Finally someone with a functioning brain…”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“It’s okay, Sokka, she wasn’t talking about you.”</p><p>“Where’s Sparky? I bet he could help with the whole fire thing.”</p><p>Zuko rolled his eyes at their banter as he reached the main room. “I’m here. Looks like you guys had fun.”</p><p>Sokka stood shivering with his arms wrapped around himself and his bare toes curled. He scowled, although he hardly looked intimidating with water dripping from his nose. “Yeah, if you count getting unexpectedly soaked in rain ‘fun’!”</p><p>Aang paused from his position on the floor, shaking water out of one of his shoes, and grinned. “I do! That was awesome! That storm came out of nowhere!”</p><p>“They tend to do that here.” Zuko stepped through the thin puddles on the floor and went to a closet. He pulled out a stack of blankets. “These will help. My mother kept them here for this reason exactly.”</p><p>Katara set her shoes down beside Sokka’s in front of the fireplace. She walked to Zuko and took most of the blankets. “Thanks, Zuko.”</p><p>He nodded to her in reply. Since their trip together to find the Southern Raiders, it had been easier to interact with Katara. However, he still found himself guarding his tongue around her. He’d be lying if he said she didn’t intimidate him.</p><p>Katara tossed a blanket to Sokka. He caught it and started twisting the water out of his hair. Suki knelt in front of the fireplace and set a small fire. Toph flopped beside Suki and stretched her fingers toward the flames, warming her hands. Aang stood and dutifully placed his shoes beside Katara’s and Sokka’s.</p><p>Armed with one remaining blanket, Zuko approached Aang and offered it to him.</p><p>Aang smiled. “Thanks!” He took it, clutching the soft fabric.He gasped and pressed it against his cheek. “Ooh, it’s warm!”</p><p>Zuko raised his eyebrow. “I guess my hands are warm.”</p><p>“Are they?” Eyes alight, Aang reached out and grabbed Zuko’s free hand. His jaw dropped when his fingers curled around Zuko’s own. He abandoned the blanket on the floor and, before Zuko could protest, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around him.</p><p>Aang pressed his face into Zuko’s shirt and sighed contentedly. “Wow, you’re sooo warm…”</p><p>Zuko stood awkwardly with his arms half raised, staring down at Aang. Of all the things he expected from the boy, a hug never even made it on the list. Confronted with this turn of events, he had no idea what to do.</p><p>His chances of figuring out a response dropped dramatically when Toph cried, “Who’s warm?! Is it Sparky?!”</p><p>“Yeah, he’s like a…a piece of toast!” Aang replied.</p><p>“Maybe a burnt piece of toast,” Zuko muttered, rolling his eyes.</p><p>Aang laughed. “Good one.”</p><p>Zuko suppressed a smile.</p><p>Toph ran to them, arms outstretched. “Move over, Twinkle Toes!”</p><p>Aang shifted to Zuko’s side.</p><p>Toph threw her arms around Zuko’s waist. “Ohhh, so warm!” She looked up and pointed an accusing finger at him. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner? You tryna keep your heat to yourself?!”</p><p>Zuko shrugged, his uncertainty growing. “Sorry, I guess I just didn’t think of it.”</p><p>Aang turned his head. “Hey, Sokka, if you’re still cold, then come over here! Zuko’s really warm!”</p><p>Sokka looked up eagerly from his hunched position by the fire. “Really?!” He tossed the blanket off and dashed over. He got behind Zuko and threw his arms around his neck. “Ahhh…this is nice. No offense to your fire, Suki.”</p><p>Suki followed him over. She laughed and wrapped her arms around Sokka’s waist. “None taken.”</p><p>Aang shifted his attention. “Katara! Come on, it’s nice and cozy!”</p><p>She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, I’m coming.” Katara waded through the sea of puddles and discarded blankets. When she reached them, she put a hand on Aang’s shoulder. The other came to rest on Zuko’s arm. “Wow, you <em>are</em> warm.”</p><p>“Thank you?” Zuko said, “I guess?”</p><p>The others laughed.</p><p>Zuko was caught between panic and happiness. As much as uncertainty gripped his chest, contentment seeped through the cracks and relaxed anxiety’s iron fist.</p><p>He looked down at Aang’s innocent, cheerful face. His heart began to melt and his arms gradually relaxed. Somehow, the little air bender, with his cheek pressed against his abdomen and his hand fisted in the back of his shirt, reminded Zuko of himself.</p><p>He remembered the countless hugs he had given his mother and the way he would often snatch her sleeve and hold it tight. He remembered the boy who might as well have been his brother, Lu Ten. He remembered the hugs he had given him, especially when he grew much taller and had to kneel so Zuko could throw his arms around his neck and let Lu Ten sweep him off his feet.</p><p>He remembered the hugs he had given Uncle Iroh. The ones as a child, when the top of his head had barely reached his knee. The ones when he grew older, in particular the quick hug he had given him before the door of that fateful war meeting, and the desperate one in the aftermath of the Agni Kai. The one in the tea shop years later, the last one he could recall giving him. He had grasped for the fabric of his uncle’s shirt then, just as he had with Lu Ten and his mother.</p><p>Just as Aang had done to him now.</p><p>Tears welled up in his eyes, hot and unbidden. His limbs trembled in time with his lower lip. He bit the offending lip and closed his eyes, hoping to chase away the growing number of tears. He prayed the others hadn’t seen the traitorous water.</p><p>“Zuko? Are you okay?”</p><p>Too late. Aang had seen.</p><p>Zuko took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He met Aang’s gaze. The boy tightened his hold and gave him a smile.</p><p>“Don’t get all weepy on me now,” Sokka teased. Zuko didn’t miss the underlying concern in his voice.</p><p>“Stop shaking, you’re throwing me off balance,” Toph complained. As she spoke, she hugged him a little more fiercely.</p><p>Katara squeezed his arm. “<em>Are</em> you okay?”</p><p>He glanced to each side at his new team, his new friends, before returning his gaze to Aang’s. He wrapped his arm around Toph’s shoulders and placed his hand on Aang’s arm.</p><p>He closed his eyes. His heart beat steadily, warm and strong in his chest. He let memories of past embraces wash over him and mix with the present.</p><p>Zuko smiled. “Yeah. I’m okay.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hopefully that was satisfactory :o</p></blockquote></div></div>
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